I’ve seen (and maybe brought for myself at some point) everything from a bottle of water to a full fast food meal for the whole family at the movies. Usually the people wait until the lights are out or don’t flaunt it, though.
A few days ago at a major chain cinema, I watched a couple in the front row open a big ol’ bag of home popcorn and a bottle of Dr. Pepper before the lights went down, and they didn’t make any effort at all to be sneaky about it.
Is this really something everyone does? If so, what is the strangest thing you have carried in or seen someone else eat or drink at the movies? How the heck did you or they get it in?
I can’t say I’ve ever seen this, but I don’t really go to the movies a lot anymore. And I know this isn’t GD but I will say this:
It’s a crass, tacky, and kind of low-life thing to do. Theaters make 99.8% of their profits from the concession counter. They’re essentially a popcorn & candy stand with a great location. So they have every right to charge whatever they want for them, they’re providing you with a giant film watching venue in exchange. And the key issue is this: Buying snacks is completely voluntary! If you don’t want to pay for them you don’t have to. Conversely, if the theater wants to prohibit you from bringing your own and kick you out if you do, they can do that too.
I rarely have the urge to eat or drink in a movie theater - I’m there for the show. I might be more apt to buy snacks, though, if they weren’t crap (like if they had decent chocolate, decent coffee and tea, etc.) I have almost totally lost my taste for mass-produced candy, giant buckets of popcorn, pop, etc.
Hot popcorn, a cold drink, and choosing which mix of bulk candy to buy are part of the experience. I wouldn’t go through the trouble of trying to smuggle things in.
I should have included my own position: I end up buying something about half the time. The smell of the popcorn sucks me in.
One time, ONE, I was meeting someone at the movie, running late, hadn’t eaten all day, and was starving, so I brought in chicken nuggets and an orange that I picked up in a rush on the way over. I still feel guilty about it, and am very unlikely to do it again.
I regularly bring a refillable bottle of water from home, since regardless of whether I find the popcorn to be worth $6 or M&M’s $4.50, there’s just something about a $5 DaSani that I can’t get behind. Free water is a basic right, dammit.:mad:
I’ll always get a drink. However, most of the snacks are terrible for you, so I’ll bring a healthy alternative.
Well, if you do decide to smuggle in something wrapped in crinkly loud plastic, do us a favor and rip that open before the movie starts; don’t stealthily, slooooowly open it later thinking we can’t hear it.
I’m from Australia and here buying popcorn and drinks for a family of 4 at the movies would cost you $80, whereas bringing your own food costs you at most $25… With that $60 difference you would be able to go and watch another film.
Here in the US midwest, a movie is $7 daytime and $10 at night. Large combo with popcorn and drink is $12. If you have kids who each want their own, plus candy, you could easily spend $80 US. Thank goodness there are only 2 of us and we are happy to share.
Saw somebody smuggle those little bottles of wine in one time. Thought that was kind of genius. Why you can’t buy a beer or glass of wine in most movie theaters is a mystery to me.
My wife and I used to bring our own candy, but we always bought popcorn and drinks at the concession stand. Now we pretty much see all of our movies at Alamo Drafthouse, and their concessions (to include full bar service) are reasonable enough that we don’t feel the need to bring anything in.
I don’t go that often, but I’ve been known to sneak in a candy bar or something.
I’m not much of a movie snacker, most of the movies I see fall into the movie and a dinner category with a late afternoon movie and then a dinner. My favorite theater does serve beer, so I’l often buy one and wouldn’t think of sneaking one in, I’m not a high school kid.
My wife prefers to get a personal pizza and/or ice cream while I bring in my candy. We also buy a large soda.
I usually buy a soda and a small popcorn. And smuggle candy, usually Milkduds, in my purse.
Liability issues and local licencing laws. Our local IMAX theatre did have a small bar when it first opened, but you could drink in the bar (no taking drinks into the theatres) thanks to the liquor control board.
Mid 7o’s, college next to “downtown”. Local theater starts running midnight movies on Friday nights. The movies are usually several years old comedic movies and since everyone hangs out in the bars until movie time, a good time is had by all. Then four or five weeks into it, during a quite moment in the opening credits there is that distinctive sound… pssstttffsssssssss. After that, with cold weather and heavy parkas it became sort of a contest to see who could bring in the most beers. The theater never seems to have made overt attempt to limit it (I think they did sell a lot of popcorn and probably could have made money on recycled empties), but between warnings from local law enforcement and the general escalation in rowdiness they didn’t have the movies the following year.
Whenever I go to movies I have my kids and a lot of times more kids along as well, my nieces/nephews mostly, and I will buy them a slushie or a drink. If they want snacks they better pack some snacks. We also play video games in the lobby before and after the movie.
So I spend a little money over the cost of the ticket but there is a limit.
I had to vote other since I don’t bring them in because it is “against the rules” but because I think the theater deserves to make a reasonable profit to pay their employees a fair wage.
I do have to admit that one time I went to a movie with a friend of my roommate who was a bartender at a local bar. once the lights went down she tapped me on the shoulder and handed me a regular glass wine glass. Next she pulled out a bottle of wine and a corkscrew. It was actually quite nice to enjoy a couple of glasses of wine while watching the movie (Purple Rose of Cairo if I remember). I’m really looking forward to the brew pub/theater that is opening in the spring within walking distance of my house.
I always buy a large popcorn and a couple of drinks for the 4 of us. My wife throws a box of Junior Mints and a couple of small popcorn bags from home into her purse. That way we aren’t constantly passing that bucket back and forth.
I’ll buy a soda and small popcorn, but if I want candy I’ll stop at a c-store on the way to the theatre.
When we were a poor young family, Mom would sneak the popcorn from home in her purse and tell us to keep quiet about it.